Not Like Planned
by Daughter of Nature
Summary: Things don't go the way that Clary wanted them to - she's made Rogue of Port Caynn. AU, set immediately after the events of Bloodhound. Series of Clary/Mattes drabbles written for Goldenlake's 2011 SMACKDOWN.
1. Chapter 1

_This is a series of Clary/Mattes drabbles, written for Goldenlake's 2011 SMACKDOWN. Since they're all related, I've decided not to give them each their own chapter. Instead, they'll be grouped with 10 drabbles per chapter to make it easier to read._

_Check out my profile for more about Goldenlake, and also The King's Own, where I'll have more Clary/Mattes drabbles from SMACKDOWN (it's too complicated to upload them all here)._

…

"What is it, Clary?" Mattes pulled himself upright. "You've looked troubled ever since you walked back in. What happened in Port Caynn?"

She nibbled at her nail, something she usually scolded him for doing. "Nothing turned out like it was supposed to. And they said it was for the best, but…I don't' know what to do. It's messy."

"But you're alright, aren't you?" Mattes asked, worried. "Except for your ear, but that's not so bad." He reached over and took her hand in his. "Tell me, Clary. You know I'll do whatever I can to help you, I swear it."

She let out a cynical bark of laughter. "I wouldn't swear anything until you know what you're swearing."

"Well if you just _told_ me-"

"Mattes, I'm the Rogue of Port Caynn."

…

"You're the Rogue?" Mattes echoed, his voice full of shock and disbelief. "Of Port Caynn?" He watched Clary nod glumly. "How did that happen?"

"I'm not sure I know myself," she said wryly. "But Port Caynn couldn't be left without a Rogue, and the higher-ups decided that they couldn't trust anybody already in the Rogue there until they could be sure that they weren't involved with Pearl's plans. And then they decided that they'd make _me_ the Rogue, and the people of the Rogue didn't really complain but I don't know if that's because they like me for some reason, or if they think it'll be all too easy to stick a sarden knife in my back because their last Rogue, pox rot her, managed to take a sarden chunk out of my ear, and –"

"Clary. Calm down, love." Mattes rubbed her hand gently. "Everything will work out, I promise."

…

"You can't just promise that everything will work out," Clary snapped. "I didn't _ask_ to be the Rogue but I am, and I don't even want to go back to sarden, stinking Port Caynn. Nothing good for me has ever come from that pox-ridden place. And what am I supposed to tell Tom?" She drew in a deep, shuddery breath. "I told him when I left that I'd be safe and it was just another hunt, and now I'm the sarden Rogue and I'll have to go off and leave him and leave the Dogs and –"

Mattes smiled at her as he interrupted. "I can promise that you won't have to leave me."

…

Mattes had watched as his partner slowly grew more and more hysterical. He was fairly certain that she'd put up a tough front for the trip home (mostly by stubbornly refusing to let herself think about it), and waited until she was behind closed doors in his rooms before she fell apart.

He decided it was safe enough to tug her onto him and wrap his arms around her. "I've always wanted to go to Port Caynn," he murmured. He felt her tense up as she realised what he was saying.

"Mattes, you can't…this isn't your mess."

He just grinned into her hair. "There's always been a little part of me that wanted to be the Rogue."

…

Mattes grinned at his partner. "There's always been a little part of me that's wanted to be the Rogue."

Clary Goodwin, the reluctant Rogue of Port Caynn, stared at him for a moment. "I always knew your nob was cracked," she said finally.

"Mayhap so, but you're glad of it now, right?"

Clary stayed silent while she thought. "You can't, Mattes." She looked him in the eye, her face serious. "It's not that I don't want you to help me sort it all out, but it's my mess. I can't let you throw your life away too by being caught up with the Rogue."

Mattes just grinned at her. "You don't think you're going to get rid of me that easily, do you?"

…

"I mean it, Clary." Mattes squeezed her hand tightly between both of his. "No matter what happens, you can count on me to be right there beside you through all of it. We're partners, right?" He waited for a small smile to begin to grow. "You're never going to be able to get rid of me."

Clary's smile turned into a grin, one that reached her eyes. "What if I want to get rid of you?"

Mattes lifted an eyebrow, a trick he'd learned from her. "Then that'll be tough luck to you then, won't it?" he replied.

"I think I should just crack you upside the nob now," Clary said. She squeezed his hand back, her face serious again. "Thank you, Mattes."

…

"Mattes."

"What?"

"If you come to Port Caynn with me, you'll be leaving Sabine behind."

Mattes grinned at his partner. "Mayhap not. I don't know if you've noticed, but Sabine isn't really the type of mot that stays behind and waits."

"I know, Mattes. She's a noble and a lady knight."

"With a taste for adventure, so she'll probably come with us."

"Come _with_ us? We'll be running the Court of the Rogue, you looby, she'll be tried for treason if she's caught."

Mattes just smirked at her. "No she won't. Gods, Clary, you'd be the most hopeless Rogue ever if you didn't have me to help you. See, all we have to do is come up with a clever and cunning plan."

…

"A plan." Clary eyed her partner skeptically. "You think that's really going to work?"

Mattes stuck his nose in the air and Clary fought a smile. "You haven't even heard the plan yet."

"I didn't know you had it already."

"I've had a plan for becoming the Rogue for years, just in case, you know. Although, that was more for a hostile takeover sort of thing, rather than having the title tossed into your lap. And I assumed it would be Corus, and not Port Caynn."

"_Mattes_."

Mattes smiled at her frustration; it was good to see she was still the same old Clary. "Anyway," he said. "This is a different plan. We'll run the Rogue together…as Dogs."

…

"You think we're going to be allowed to stay Dogs while we run the Court of the Rogue?" Clary crossed her arms and snorted. "Your nob has been cracked one too many times." She sighed. "Mattes, they're going to cut me loose from the Dogs, you'll see. They just want their mess nicely tidied away, they won't want anything to do with the Rogue. You should just stay here in Corus as a Dog."

"You haven't taken Ahuda into account," Mattes pointed out.

"Ahuda?" Clary narrowed her eyes as she realised that her partner's face had lit up like a child's at Midwinter. "_Mattes_."

Mattes couldn't hide his grin. "Promise not to tell Ahuda about you being Rogue without me there to see her face."

…

Clary groaned at the thought of Ahuda. "I don't want to tell her that I was made the poxy Rogue," she complained. She managed to hold her tongue and keep from asking if he could do it for her.

Mattes just shrugged. "You'd better do it sooner rather than later. If she hears it from anyone else, she'll come pounding on your door no matter what the time."

Clary sighed, her shoulders slumping. "I suppose you're right."

He clapped her on the shoulder. "You never know, you might be surprised by her."

"Let me guess, this is your sarden plan again. The one you still haven't told me anything of."

Mattes nodded, his eyes alight with enthusiasm. "This Rogue business is the best thing _ever_," he said, and Clary rolled her eyes.


	2. Chapter 2

Clary narrowed her eyes as she realised that Mattes was nearabout bouncing up and down beside her. She dug her elbow into his side and hoped that he had the sense to consider himself lucky for getting off with that.

"Clary needs to talk to you in private," Mattes told Ahuda as soon as he had her attention. He grinned to himself, eagerly anticipating the look on his sergeant's face when she learned of Clary's 'promotion' to Rogue of Port Caynn. "With me in the room," he added.

Ahuda fixed them both with a look as she climbed down from her desk and motioned for Karel to take her place. "This better be important," she grumbled.

Clary glared at her partner; he looked as though he was about to giggle like an overexcited child.

"Believe me," he said, the glee obvious in his voice, "this is definitely something that you want to hear."

And then he winced as a boot-clad foot connected with his ankle.

…

"You _what_?" Ahuda looked between the two of them in disbelief.

"Shut your gob," Clary warned as soon as a chortle escaped from her partner. She sighed as she looked back at her sergeant. "I didn't ask for this, Sarge. I don't want to be Rogue, and I don't want to go back to Port Caynn."

"Careful," Mattes warned. "She was a hysterical mess not two hours ago."

Clary gave him an elbow in the ribs. "And as if all this wasn't bad enough," she told Ahuda, "Mattes thinks that it's the best thing since the barbarians worked out how to skin a dead animal, and he's come up with a _plan_."

Ahuda glanced at the enthusiastic grin on his face. "Gods help us."

…

"It's time for you both to hear my plan." Mattes rested his hand on Clary's knee under the table, his face suddenly serious. "Hear me out, alright? As much fun as I think all this Rogue business is, I honestly think that my way about things is worth a try." Clary nodded, and Ahuda fixed her eyes on him. "Keep us on as Dogs," he said. "Let everyone think that we've been given the boot, or that we turned crooked and quit or sommat." He ignored Clary's flinch and the way that her muscles tensed. "But we'll go to Port Caynn for a year, Clary'll be the Rogue and I'll be her…chief henchman and bodyguard, and we'll sniff out any signs of trouble while we train up a suitable replacement. And then when that's done, we'll come back here and everything will be back to normal." He grinned when several seconds of silence passed without objections from either mot. "See? I told you it was a good plan."

…

Clary watched her husband as he blinked in surprise. "You're the Rogue of Port Caynn and you're going there for a year?"

"Yes."

"With Mattes."

Clary swallowed. "Yes…do you mind?"

"Of course I mind, Clary. What kind of husband would I be if I wasn't going to miss you?"

Clary sniffed, her eyes beginning to water up. "I meant do you mind that I'm going with Mattes?"

Tom considered what she was asking. "You know I won't lie to you, Clary. I'm jealous that Mattes gets to spend that time with you, but I'm grateful that he's with you too. He's a good partner, love, and I'll sleep a little easier knowing that he's by your side."

Clary smiled and climbed onto his lap, wrapping her arms around him. "I'll come back when I can," she promised. "I wish I could come back regularly, except it would look like I was reporting to someone."

"I know, love. It's just like you're off on another one of your hunts, even though it'll be a little longer." He shoved all worries of Clary deciding to stay with Mattes in Port Caynn out of his mind. "And if he can keep you safe and…and _happy_ while you're there, then I'm glad for it."

…

"A common bodyguard?"

"You know she could pass for it," Mattes told her. His eyes were wider, as though that would help convince her. "It's not unusual for a Rogue to have their own trusted people. Look at Rosto arriving with Kora and Aniki. You can arrive in Port Caynn as Rogue with me and Sabine to back you up."

Clary thought it over. "No," she said finally. "Sabine can come as herself and be a noble gone bad or whatever she wants, but it's bad for us if she pretends to be common and someone finds out she isn't. Besides, she'll probably have to come and go to Corus a lot more than a common bodyguard could without it looking suspicious."

She felt a slight stab of guilt as she watched her partner droop, but she was more worried about the satisfaction she felt at the thought of it mostly being just her and Mattes.

…

"Oh gods, I thought we were done with the tears." Mattes resolutely wrapped his arms around his partner and patted her on the back.

"It's all too sudden," Clary sobbed. "Finding out that they want me to be the Rogue, and having to leave so soon and only seeing Tom for a couple of days, and I promised the Goddess that I'd never be crooked again."

Mattes felt his heart break just a little. "But that's the best part, Clary," he told her. "You're being a Dog, not crooked. You won't actually be _doing_ anything crooked, you'll just be…managing the Rats."

Clary gave a watery laugh, then forced herself to pull together. She straightened and wiped her eyes, then flushed and tried to wipe the tear stains from his tunic. "Gods, I'm sorry."

Mattes decided it was best to keep suspicions of her monthlies to himself. "Better you got them out here than there," he said cheerily. "Now, let's go and get on that boat."

…

Mattes looked around the boat to check that their conversation would be private. "So," he said, "what can you tell me that'll be useful to our Roguery?"

The corner of Clary's mouth twitched a little. "I know absolutely nothing about how to be a Rogue," she said, "and we can't trust anyone in Port Caynn." As pleased as she was to have Mattes to herself, she felt a slight pang of regret at not having another familiar and trusted face with them in Sabine. "But," she continued, "Flory, the mot that runs the flower sellers, seems a good enough sort, I'd trust her more than most. And we can't be seen turning to the Dogs, but if things got really, _really_ bad, we can trust Nestor and another Sergeant called Axman."

"Keep on talking and you'll make me as gloomy as you."

The corner of Clary's mouth curled upwards as she looked at her partner. "You'll love the food in Port Caynn."

…

After all these years, Mattes still found it odd to see Clary in cityfolk clothes. It was even odder now, seeing her without her baton but armed to the teeth with knives, and looking around the Rogue's Eagle Street court in Port Caynn as if she owned the place. Which of course, as Rogue, she did.

Mattes admired her as she drew herself up proudly and squared her shoulders, then began to make her way to the dais, adding a slight swing to her hips as she went. He had more trouble than he thought he would keeping his eyes off her and looking for signs of danger as he followed a step behind her. He suppressed a smile as he stole another glance at her. Despite the danger, there was nowhere he would rather be.

…

"You love this, don't you?" Clary watched in amusement as Mattes ran his hands along the walls.

He turned to her, his brown eyes shining. "There could be all sorts of hiding places and passageways in these walls. And the floors and the ceilings. And we need to make sure that we find every single one of them, so that they can't be used against us. And we can use them ourselves, just because you're the Rogue and you can." He eyed her for a moment. "You're thinking that I'm adorable, aren't you?"

"You're acting like a child," Clary retorted, but she couldn't hide her smile.

…

"And these are going to be our bedrooms." Mattes stood aside so that Clary could see. "This big one is yours, as befits our gorgeous Rogue, and mine's through there."

Clary looked where he pointed. "Our bedrooms have an adjoining door?"

"Yes…"

Clary crossed her arms. "What aren't you telling me?"

"Well, if we both sleep in the same bed and alternate between them, we'll take any attackers by surprise. It's much safer that way."

"And safety's the only reason you're suggesting that?"

"Of course."

Clary's mouth curled upwards. "I suppose I could do with a bit of a cuddle tonight."


	3. Chapter 3

Clary breathed in deeply, taking in the smell of the sea air. Now that she was back here, the thought of having to stay in Port Caynn didn't seem so bad after all. Clary supposed that it helped that she had her partner by her side, eagerly taking in all the new sights and smells around him.

"The eating houses and night-time entertainments are down that way," she told him, and pointed. "But we're not going there now." She tugged on his tunic to pull him in the right direction, and ignored the sudden urge to hold his hand instead. "I'm going to take you to the markets." She grinned at the thought of his reaction once they got there. "Remember how I said you'd like the food in Port Caynn?"

…

Clary smiled as she watched Mattes tucking away the food they'd bought from the stalls. This was exactly the kind of morning she'd needed – enjoying the things that she liked about Port Caynn: the sights, the smells, the food…and seeing Mattes enjoying it too.

"I saved this for last," Clary told him, and pushed a bowl of seaweed soup across the table to him.

He eyed her suspiciously for a moment, and then decided it was best to not ask why she wasn't telling him what it was. He ate it, and then looked at her. "It was…interesting." He wrinkled his nose. "It had a strange taste."

Clary grinned. "Seaweed. It's a Yamani dish."

The look on Mattes's face was priceless. "You mean that stuff on the beach you showed me?"

Clary threw back her head and laughed. Yes, this was exactly the kind of morning she needed.

…

Mattes decided he needed to have some more of the noodles he'd tried earlier, and while Clary suspected that it was to wash away the taste of the seaweed soup, she kept her mouth shut.

"So," Mattes said between mouthfuls, "what's happening with the Deputy Provost?"

Clary blinked. "We can't be involved with the Dogs, Mattes. It'd get us in trouble with our people if they found out we were still working as Dogs."

Mattes shrugged. "I'm just curious as to who's replacing Sir Lionel." He took a proper look at her face and grinned. "You don't know, do you?"

Clary flushed. "I sort of might have been a little preoccupied with them making me Rogue. I didn't think to ask."

Mattes's grin widened. Not for the first time, he wished he could've been there to see her face when it was decided she would be Rogue.

…

Mattes walked into Clary's room and stopped short in surprise when he realised it was empty. "Clary?" he asked quietly. He peered around the doorway to her adjoining bathroom when he was met with silence, and found that empty too.

Finally, he remembered about the secret place they'd found in the attic. He climbed onto her bed, stood on the bedhead, and shoved the ceiling. He climbed up through the trapdoor there, and heaved a sigh of relief when he saw Clary sitting there, knees tucked up to her chest.

He closed the trapdoor and settled himself beside her. "I was worried, when you weren't in your room," he said quietly.

Clary sighed. "It's too much, sometimes, staying down there." She looked around. "It feels safer up here, silly as that sounds."

Mattes tucked an arm around her. "No, I know what you mean. It's less…Rogue-y. You can pretend you're still in Corus."

Clary nodded and rested her head on his shoulder. "I like having a secret room that only we know of."

Mattes smiled. "Me too."

…

"Mattes?" Clary pushed the door open gently. "Do you mind if we look at the maps now?"

"Of course." Mattes looked ruefully at the piles of clutter on his table and settled himself on the bed instead.

Clary rolled her eyes and sat down beside him, spreading the maps out in front of them. "These are the layouts of the other two Courts that Pearl used," she explained. "Okha drew them. I've been looking over them and I think it's best for us to just stay here all the time."

Mattes raised his eyebrows. "Pearl shifted between all three?"

"Mmm, less predictable, I suppose. But it'd be easier for us to get to know and defend this place if we stayed here all the time." She looked anxiously at Mattes.

"It's a good decision," he said, realising she was looking for his approval. "I told you you'd have managed fine without me."

Clary swallowed hard and took hold of his hand. "I don't know what I'd have done without you."

…

"It's late," said Mattes. He carefully rolled up the maps they'd been looking at together. "We'd best go to bed, don't you think?"

Clary nodded her head in agreement. There was a moment of silence while they each watched the other from the corner of their eyes, trying to work out what to do by what the other did.

After a moment, Mattes shrugged and stood up to begin undressing. It was his room, after all. Clary sat on the bed still, and then Mattes felt his stomach sink when she slowly stood and turned her back to him.

"Could you help me out of my dress?" she asked shyly over her shoulder.

Mattes smiled to himself as he gently undid the buttons for her. He'd have missed having her sleep next to him in bed if she'd chosen to go back to her own room.

…

The buttons all unfastened, Mattes backed away and sat on the edge of his bed. "It's nice, seeing you wearing dresses," he commented.

Clary smiled as she stepped out of it. "I'd feel too much like a Dog if I wore a tunic and breeches," she admitted. "A Rogue should be able to wear pretty dresses if she wants to, don't you think?"

Mattes smiled at her. "Of course."

"Pearl did." Clary nibbled at her nail. "But then look where she ended up."

Mattes decided he could be nice _and_ make the most of seeing this side of Clary; he'd make sure she had all the pretty dresses she could ever possibly want.

…

Clary didn't seem to mind him watching (he'd seen her in the baths before, of course, but he'd thought that maybe it would be different when she was undressing for bed), so he stayed sitting quietly on his bed.

He couldn't help his eyes from widening, though, when she pulled her underdress off, and she noticed.

"What?" she asked. "It's not like it's anything you haven't seen before."

"But I haven't." Mattes stood, fascinated. He knew that usually on duty, she had a few hidden knives on her; their knives had saved their lives multiple times. But now…she was armed to the teeth, and Mattes found it inexplicably attractive. "You look every bit the strong, tough, beautiful Rogue you are," he murmured.

Clary blushed, the corner of her mouth turning slightly upwards. "I'm not sure that's a compliment."

"Believe me," Mattes said, and he gently touched the sheath strapped to her hip, "It is."

…

Mattes insisted on being the one to carefully unbuckle the straps that held Clary's knife sheathes on.

Clary wasn't quite sure why he was so taken with the idea of her looking like a proper Rogue and being decked out with weapons, but she stood still and let him slowly take them off her. Truth be told, she was secretly quite pleased with the attention. He even knelt down to unbuckle the sheaths strapped to her shins and thighs, and Clary blushed.

"You know I'm wearing them for protection, right?" she asked. "I need them, as the Rogue, for safety."

"That's why I'm so glad to see them."

They both knew that he was only telling part of the truth.

…

Mattes quickly snatched his hands away from his partner's body. He'd been reluctant to unbuckle the last of the knife sheaths he'd been so admiring on her, but accidentally stroking her skin as he did it was probably going a bit too far.

Clary looked down at him, a bemused expression on her face at his obvious enjoyment of something as simple as removing her knives. "Do you have my nightgown?" she asked as she shed her breastband. "I think I left it in here last night."

Mattes handed it to her, and they both went about setting knives around the bed where they could easily reach them. "This feels so wonderfully Rogue-ish."

Clary raised her eyebrows. "So it should," she dryly replied.

Mattes grinned. "I like it."


	4. Chapter 4

Clary smiled as she settled herself down into her side of the bed. She wasn't close enough to be touching Mattes, but she could already feel his warmth across the distance between them.

The room darkened as Mattes blew the candle on his side of the bed out, and Clary looked around the unfamiliar room once more, making sure that nothing seemed out of place. She sighed quietly as she wondered if she'd ever get used to living in the Court of the Rogue, and blew her candle out too.

As she snuggled under the covers, she couldn't help but think how comforting it was to have Mattes just inches away from her in the darkness.

…

Clary sat bolt upright in the darkness, breathing hard. She registered movement beside her in the bed, and tensed up.

"Clary?"

She recognised Mattes's voice, even with it thick with sleep, and felt herself relax. "It's nothing," she said, feeling silly all of a sudden. "Don't worry."

"Nightmare?"

Clary swallowed hard as she remembered what had frightened her so. "Yeah."

Mattes shifted towards her and tucked an arm around her waist. "You're safe," he reassured her. "There's nothing to worry about."

Clary lay back down and snuggled up to him, trying to ignore that he was only wearing a loincloth.

"Thank you," she murmured, and they drifted back to sleep in each other's arms.

…

Clary's eyes snapped open in the darkness. She realised that she was still cuddled up to her partner, but it was something outside the bed that she was worried about. She'd always been a light sleeper, and while it was possible that she'd dreamed or imagined it, she was sure that she'd heard a creak.

The room was in silence now (except for Mattes's snoring, of course), and the moon lit the room just enough so that Clary could see that they were definitely the only ones in it still. Perhaps she was just jumpy now that they were in the Court of the Rogue…as the Rogue, odd as that sounded. Surely that'd be enough to make anyone a little more jumpy than usual.

She sighed and snuggled closer into Mattes, gladder than ever for his company….snoring and all.

…

"Good morning."

Clary opened her eyes at the sound of the familiar voice, and realised that she'd snuggled up to Mattes so much in the night that her head was resting on his chest. She blushed and sat up, realising that the sun was already getting high in the sky.

Mattes noticed what she was looking at too. "It's just as well that the Rogue keeps Evening Watch hours."

Clary grinned at him. "Couldn't handle readjusting your days at your age?"

"Just for that, I'm not going to let your eat your breakfast up here."

"You wouldn't anyway," Clary retorted, and sighed. She wasn't a morning person, and hated the thought of having to eat her breakfast with her people as the Rogue.

Mattes shrugged. "Sorry," he said, no apology in his tone at all, "but you know it's all about appearances."

Clary sighed and climbed out of bed.

…

As Clary was gathering up her clothing from the night before, she realised she had no idea what exactly she should be doing in her day-to-day life as the Rogue. Her eyes flicked across to Mattes; he seemed to know far more than he really should about what to do as Rogue.

"What do you want to do today?" she asked carefully.

Mattes grinned at her, knowing exactly why she was asking (pox rot him). "I think we should spend the rest of the morning here, letting your people get to know you if they want to. Surely there'll be a couple of people who want to talk to you about things, at least. And then we could have lunch there as well. We didn't yesterday, and we don't want anyone thinking we're above them. And then we could spend the afternoon in the city, you could show me around a bit more, and then come back for supper and a good time tonight."

Clary smiled; it sounded perfect. "I guess that could work." She'd be lost without him.

…

Clary hesitated as she looked at her partner. "You sure you want to come back here for supper?" she asked.

"We should maintain a presence here at the Court for a few days," Mattes pointed out. He grinned at her. "Don't worry, we'll let you loose on the town in a few days, for some drinking and dancing and gambling and whatnot."

Clary resisted the urge to poke her tongue out at him. "You make it sound like enjoying myself is a bad thing."

"It's good actually." Mattes's grin widened. "We want you to be all crooked and Rogue-ish."

Clary just rolled her eyes. She knew that _he'd_ be the one begging for nights out once he'd tasted a real seafood supper.

…

Clary suppressed a sigh as she sat on the dais, Mattes by her side at the table. She'd been hoping to spend a quiet morning in the main hall of her Court, and instead it seemed that half of Port Caynn wanted to talk to her.

A woman approached her, offering an opal bracelet, and Clary eyed it. It was beautiful, and Clary had been turning away gifts all morning. Surely there was only so much a mot could take of that.

She took a deep breath. "Keep it," she said, relieved that the words made it out of her mouth. "I chose to be your Rogue, I don't need to be bought. With the winter we've got coming I think it's best you kept your money."

The woman smiled gratefully, and Clary felt Mattes's hand squeeze her knee under the table. She was proud of herself for making the right choice, but more than anything, she found herself especially glad she'd not made the wrong decision in front of him.

…

"I'm scared," Clary admitted quietly. She and Mattes had gone back upstairs after lunch to ready themselves for an afternoon around the city.

Mattes turned around, his full attention focussed on her. "Why?"

Clary swallowed hard. "You saw that woman offer me the bracelet. We've only been here a few days, Mattes, and I was already tempted to take it."

"But you didn't."

"What's going to happen after a few weeks? A few months? You know I used to be crooked."

Mattes stepped closer and tucked her hair behind her ear. "I also know your strength," he said simply.

Clary promised herself then that she wouldn't let him down.

…

Mattes carefully poked his head through Clary's bedroom door – in the Court of the Rogue, odd noises should _never_ be ignored. He was relieved to find no signs of a mob or assassin, but it broke his heart a little to see Clary curled up on the bed, sobbing.

He climbed onto the bed beside her. "Clary?"

"I can't do this." Mattes decided to stay silent for a moment and Clary clarified, "I can't be Rogue. You saw how close I was to accepting that bracelet as a bribe. That's bad enough, but what's going to happen when I'm faced with worse?"

Mattes rubbed her shoulders gently. "You're being Rogue for the Dogs," he reminded her gently. "It doesn't mean you should throw everything good about yourself away." He smiled. "You can deal with any direct challenges for Rogue, right?" He waited for her to nod. "And everything else, well, your handsome chief-henchman-and-bodyguard has to make himself useful somehow."

Clary turned and smiled at him. "You're my only henchman," she pointed out, and he knew that everything was better.

…

"I've been thinking about something for a while," Clary announced. She perched on the edge of Mattes's bed.

He raised his eyebrows at her. "What?"

"Well," she began, "sooner or later, people are going to get to know us better. And they'll find out more about us…and I think it'd look suspicious enough if one of us said we had a…well, someone back at home in Corus, let alone both of us."

Mattes wrinkled his nose. "I hadn't thought of that."

"I don't want every man in the Court thinking I'm available to be approached though."

Mattes caught on to her line of thinking. "We'll pretend to be together, then."


	5. Chapter 5

It was the most fun thing that Clary had ever had to do for a serious reason. She and Mattes had been acting as the friends they were for the few days they'd been in Port Caynn, so Clary knew there was no sense in being all over him as soon as they decided to start pretending they were together. It didn't mean that she couldn't enjoy it though: a few extra little touches here and there, standing closer to him than usual, making him dance with her at night when she'd had a little too much to drink.

She was still sad that she was so far apart from Tom, but mayhap Port Caynn wouldn't be so bad after all.

…

Clary had always disliked the women who threw themselves at Mattes. She wasn't jealous, of course, but they'd annoyed her all the same. Back when they were working as Dogs, she'd made it a point to glare and inform them that the guardsman was on duty.

It would be the same here, as Rogue, if they weren't pretending to be together. She'd have glared at any mots who dared approach him, and quickly told them that he was working.

Except they were pretending to be together, and so things were different. She was still glaring, of course, but her hands were all over him too…and she was shamelessly flirting.

Clary tried not to think about how this was so much more satisfying.

…

Pretending to be involved with Clary had seemed like a good idea at first. Well, it still seemed like a good idea really, but just…a more dangerous, tempting sort of good idea.

Clary as the Rogue already made him catch his breath and stare at her in wonder – this Clary was even bolder, louder, more commanding…and yet also seemed more relaxed, oddly enough.

Clary as the Rogue pretending to be involved with him…that Clary was going to be the death of him one day, he was sure. Because although he knew it was all pretend, there was only so much a man could take in the way of touches and whispers and blatant flirting.

And judging by the look of mischief in her eyes when she did it, she knew it too.

…

Mattes thought he was doing a good job of keeping up the pretense of being together with Clary. He was flirting, just like she was with him, and he was making sure he touched her more than usual, just like she was with him. He even thought that stealing some food from her plate, and then feeding her a taste of his own dinner was a particularly good touch.

Clary though…she was somehow managing to drive him wild. He suspected that she'd had a little more to drink than she really should've because he suddenly found his partner sitting on his lap with her arms around his neck.

He wondered what would be a nice way to tell her that it was adorable, but not very Rogue-y.

…

Mattes eyed his drunken partner. At least between her enjoyment of good food, her drinking, her dancing, her gambling, and her …general loudness, she was doing a pretty good job of appearing like a Rogue.

He was glad she was having a good time, of course, but he also wished that he'd be able to get her home with a little more dignity as should befit a Rogue.

Mostly, though, he was glad he'd decided not to drink much – he even had the excuse of needing to protect her. Truthfully though, it was hard enough to have to reject her more forward advances – he hated the thought of what might happen to their friendship if he let himself lose all sense of good judgement too.

…

Clary swore as she forced her eyes open.

Mattes winced, knowing from experience how she must be feeling, and handed her a glass of water. "Morning," he said. "You overdid it a little last night."

Clary groaned as fuzzy memories came flooding back into her mind. She flushed as she remembered sitting on his lap at one point, and running her hands all over his chest. "I'm sorry," she mumbled. "I didn't respect you."

"No worries." Mattes grinned at her. "It's a memory I'll treasure forever."

Clary had laughed; she knew he was joking. But somehow, she couldn't get the memory out of her own mind for the rest of the day.

…

Clary took a deep breath and scooted closer to Mattes in the bed. They'd been sleeping in the same bed for comfort and company, nothing more, but since they'd decided to pretend to be together, well…Clary had come to the decision that she wanted more.

She slid one hand to where friends definitely shouldn't touch each other, and used the other to find his face and kiss him gently.

"Clary?" Mattes shivered at her touch.

"I want you," she said, her voice low and sultry.

"But Tom…"

"Isn't here." That was sort of the point, but she didn't say that. "I want you, Mattes."

He wanted her too.

…

"Clary?" Mattes hated himself a little bit for hesitating, but he knew if he gave in too easily now then he'd regret it later. "Why do you want me?"

Her hands roamed over his chest. "I just do."

"Not good enough."

Clary huffed in frustration. "I want to feel like more than just the sarden Rogue."

"You're my friend," Mattes told her. "You're my partner, my best friend."

"I want more."

"With me? Or with the husband waiting for you at home?"

"I'm my own woman," she snapped. She thought of Tom, all alone in their pretty little cottage back in Corus, and burst into tears.

Mattes held her tightly and stroked her hair. He hated those few days right before she got her monthlies.

…

Clary had always liked Sabine, and when the lady knight arrived at the Court of the Rogue to pay a visit, Clary was glad to see another face from back home.

They'd given her a guest room, and quietly explained the pretense they had going of Clary and Mattes being involved with one another. All three of them knew, though, that Lady Sabine wouldn't be sleeping in her own bedroom that night.

It didn't bother Clary, not until she was climbing into bed, and realising it was the first time she'd slept without Mattes beside her since they'd arrived in Port Caynn.

And she couldn't help but hate Sabine a little bit.

…

Clary was jealous. Jealous _and_ sulking, really, which was not dignified enough for someone like the Rogue.

Mattes was Clary's partner; he called himself the chief henchman and bodyguard to her Rogue. She couldn't do without him, and she was grateful for Sabine's help in watching her back now that Sabine was here to visit…but the problem was that off the job, Mattes was Sabine's man.

Clary scowled into the darkness. It wasn't fair to expect that she could have Mattes to talk to and even cuddle if she wanted while Sabine was here.

But since she couldn't have Mattes, she decided it was time for a holiday home to Corus. She'd see how Mattes liked _that_.


End file.
